Cutaneous leishmaniasis: Literature review and report of two cases from communities devastated by insurgency in North-East Nigeria

Abstract

Leishmaniasis is a parasitic disease most often as

result of bite by infected female phelobotomine

sandflies. Various species of sand flies are potential

vectors and some 100 species of wild and domestic

animals including humans could serve as reservoir

hosts. 1 The causative agents are blood and tissue

dwelling intracellular protozoan parasite species

belonging to the genus Leishmania. Infection with

leishmania specie could result in disease condition

ranging from chronic but often self-healing skin

lesions, cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL), to erosive

mucosal membrane destruction of the nasopharynx

known as mucocutaneous leishmaniasis, and a life

threatening systemic infection with hepato

spleenomegly in visceral leishmaniasis. The nature

and extent of the disease is determined by complex

interactions between the infecting species of

Leishmania and the immunological status of the

host. 1, 2